Be it known that we, GEORGE FELIX GREEN and ALBERT IVESLEY LAWRENCE, both subjects of the King of Great- Britain, and residents of the city of Toronto, county of York, Province of Ontario, Canada, and the town of Collingwood, in the county of Simcoe, Province of Ontario, Canada, respec tively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brushes; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The invention relates to improvements in brushes, as described'in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings that form part of the same.

The invention consists essentially in forming the brush back of a plurality of sections adapted to be separated the one from the other.

The object of the invention is, to devise a sanitary form of brush which may be easily taken apart for cleansing and easily and quickly connected together.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a brush constructed in accordance with this invention and ready for use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the brush shown in Fig. 1, showing the sections separated for cleansing. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a slightly modified form of brush, showing the sections separated. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a furthce modified form of brush, showing the sections separated. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a further modification in form.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a tooth brush having the back and handle thereof split longitudinally into a plurality of sections. said sections being adapted to fit snugly together.

2 are the bristles arranged in rows at the head end of each of said sections.

3 is a pin extending through an orifice 4 in the neck portion 5 of the brush close to the base end of the bristles, said pin pivotally connecting the several sections of the back together.

6 is a cap formed ofsuitable material adapted to fit snugly over the handle end of the sections of the brush to secure them firmly together. The brush is used in the ordinary manner and in order to clean the same, it is merely necessary to remove the cap 6 and swing the sections apart on their pivots. The bristle portions are thus separated into single rows so that when the brush is placed under a tap, the water will cleanse the space between the bristles and around the base of said bristles very thoroughly, no foreign matter being allowed to remain. As soon as the brush is cleansed in this manner, the sections are swung together and the cap replaced and the brush is ready for use.

In the form shown in Fig. 3, the central section 7 is formed with a plurality of holes 8 in its side walls adapted to receive the pins 9 rigidly secured in the outer sections 10 and 11. The sections are held together by a suitable cap, similar to the one shown in Fig. 1. The cap may be any desired length in order to hold the sections very securely together.

In the form of brush shown in Fig. 4:, the several sections are hinged together at the outer side thereof in any suitable manner so that on the removal of the cap, they may be swung outwardly from each other to allow of the thorough cleansing of the bristles.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the sections are formed with fiat meeting faces but in the forms shown in Figs. 3 and 1 the meeting faces of the said sections may be made concaved and convexed, correspondingly to fit snugly together as shown in Fig. 5, the concaved and convexed faces fitting together and holding the sections much closer and preventing foreign matter from getting between the meeting faces.

The device is herein shown applied to a tooth brush but it must be understood that it may be readily adapted for use in hair brushes or in fact any other form of brush which it is desired to keep in a sanitary state.

hat we claim as our invention is 2- 1. A brush having a head and handle con nected by a neck portion and longitudinally split from end to end into a plurality of sections, bristles secured in the head end of each section a pivot pin extending transversely through the sections in said neck portion from side to side and means at one end of the brush for locking said sections in alinement.

2. A brush having a head and handle connected by a neck portion and longitudinally split from end to end into a plurality of sections, bristles secured in the head end of each section, a pivot pin extending through the sections in said neck portion from side to side, and a thimble adapted to clip onto the handle end, thereby holding said sections in alinement.

Signed at the city of Toronto, county of York, Province of Ontario, Canada, this 15 20th day of Sept, 1910.

GEORGE FELIX GREEN.

Vitnesses H. DENNISON, B. TUcK.

Signed at the town of Collingwood, in the county of Sinicoe, Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, this 21st day of September, 1910.

ALBERT WESLEY LAVRENCE.

Witnesses M. A. MARTIN, W. T. ALLAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.